Spicy Aubergine Curry

It's time for another one of our Good Eating recipe competition runners up recipes. And in honour of National Curry week, its this cracking vegetarian curry created by Cathy Mullan.

"This is a tangy, spicy vegetarian main meal, which is delicious served with a dollop of 0% fat Greek yoghurt, a generous sprinkling of chopped fresh coriander leaves and a wedge of lemon."

Ingredients

1 tbsp sunflower oil

1 small onion, chopped

2 garlic cloves, finely chopped

35g chunk of fresh ginger, peeled and cut into matchsticks

1 red or green chilli, finely chopped (with or without seeds, according to taste)

1 tsp cumin seeds

1 tsp ground coriander

1 tsp black onion (nigella) seeds

½ cinnamon stick

3 whole cloves

1 medium aubergine (about 300g) cut into cubes

400g can of chopped tomatoes

1 tsp tomato purée

juice of ½ lemon

1 tsp sugar

2 tbsp chopped fresh coriander, plus extra for garnish

salt and pepper, to taste

2 heaped tsp 0% fat Greek yoghurt, to serve

COOKING INSTRUCTION

Heat the oil in a large saucepan and fry the onion over a medium heat until soft and translucent. Add the garlic, ginger and chilli and fry for 20 seconds before adding the spices and frying for a further 20 seconds.

Throw in the cubes of aubergine and stir until they are all well coated in the spice and onion mix.

Add the chopped tomatoes, tomato puree, lemon juice, sugar, fresh coriander, salt and pepper, then bring everything to the boil. Reduce the heat to very low, cover the pan with a lid and simmer the curry for about an hour, stirring regularly. Add a little water if the mix reduces too quickly and starts to stick. The aubergine should be lovely and soft by the end of the cooking time.

Serve on warmed plates with boiled basmati rice (calories not included), add the yoghurt and sprinkle with chopped coriander. Squeeze over more lemon juice, if desired.

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